Let's solve each of the sentences by converting them from
direct speech to
indirect (reported) speech. We’ll follow the rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech, such as:
- Changing pronouns and tenses appropriately.
- Adjusting time expressions (e.g., "tomorrow" → "the next day").
- Removing quotation marks and using reporting verbs like *said*, *asked*, *told*.
- Using connectors like *that*, *if*, or *whether* when needed.
---
1. "Please wait here till I return," she told him.
Indirect Speech:
She told him to wait there till she returned.
>
✔ Explanation: The imperative ("Please wait") becomes an infinitive after *told him to*. The pronoun "I" changes to "she", and "return" changes to past tense "returned".
---
2. "I will pay tomorrow," he said.
Indirect Speech:
He said that he would pay the next day.
>
✔ Explanation: "Will" becomes "would" in reported speech. "Tomorrow" becomes "the next day". Pronoun "I" becomes "he".
---
3. She said, "I am calling my mother."
Indirect Speech:
She said that she was calling her mother.
>
✔ Explanation: Present continuous "am calling" becomes past continuous "was calling". "My" becomes "her" because it refers to her mother now.
---
4. Mr. West says, "I am very tired."
Indirect Speech:
Mr. West says that he is very tired.
>
✔ Explanation: This is a present tense statement. Since the original is in the present and we're keeping it current, we use "says" and keep the tense as "is". "I" becomes "he".
---
5. He said to me, "I saw your friend at the cinema yesterday."
Indirect Speech:
He told me that he had seen my friend at the cinema the day before.
>
✔ Explanation: Past simple "saw" becomes past perfect "had seen" (since the action happened before the reporting). "Yesterday" becomes "the day before". "I" becomes "he".
---
6. The nurse asked him, "How are you feeling?"
Indirect Speech:
The nurse asked him how he was feeling.
>
✔ Explanation: Question becomes a statement with "how" + subject + verb. "Are" becomes "was" (past tense), and "you" becomes "he".
---
7. She said, "Water boils at 100 degree."
Indirect Speech:
She said that water boils at 100 degrees.
>
✔ Explanation: This is a general truth (scientific fact), so the tense stays in present. "Degree" should be corrected to plural "degrees" (standard usage). "She said" remains unchanged.
---
8. He said, "Diamond is the hardest element."
Indirect Speech:
He said that diamond is the hardest element.
>
✔ Explanation: General truth — facts remain in present tense even in reported speech. So "is" stays as "is".
---
9. "Why is she crying?" says father.
Indirect Speech:
Father asked why she was crying.
>
✔ Explanation: Interrogative sentence becomes indirect with "why". "Is" becomes "was" (past tense). "Says" becomes "asked" since it’s a question.
---
✔ Final Answers:
1. She told him to wait there till she returned.
2. He said that he would pay the next day.
3. She said that she was calling her mother.
4. Mr. West says that he is very tired.
5. He told me that he had seen my friend at the cinema the day before.
6. The nurse asked him how he was feeling.
7. She said that water boils at 100 degrees.
8. He said that diamond is the hardest element.
9. Father asked why she was crying.
---
Let me know if you'd like this in printable format or need explanations in simpler terms!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of active and passive verb worksheet.
